Edo - the EDOPEDIA -: - - - Places and power spots

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6/26/2018

Ochiai district Shinjuku

The area where the river　神田川 Kandagawa and 妙正寺川 Myoshojigawa merged was called Ochiai. The area above the merger was Kami-Ochiai, the area downstream was Shimo-Ochiai.
The name Ochiai represents this "falling" ochi "together" ai of the two waterways into one river.

It used to be outside of the central area of Edo, but in 1818 it came under the administration of the Edo Bakufu government.
At that time a violet line was drawn on the map of Edo, and everything inside was
shubikinai 朱引内 within the "Vermillion Line"

At that time Ochiai was a rural district with farms and forests. It was blessed with clean water and many fireflies lived here.　
The third Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu used to come here for takagari 鷹狩 hunting with hawks.

落合地域では、御鷹野役所が設置されていた角筈村(現・新宿)まで、朝の五ツ半(午前9時ごろ)に受けとりに出かけることになる。下落合村の西隣り、上高田村の「堀江家文書」には、鷹狩りにかかった代金を角筈村へ受領しに出かけた、江戸後期の「請取証文」が保存されている。
- reference source : chinchiko.blog.so-net.ne.jp...-

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- quote
Ochiai is a district in Shinjuku located to the west of Takadanobaba Station. It’s also served by Ochiai Station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line.
Although the area is predominantly upscale residential, the area closer to Takadanobaba station has lots of reasonably priced restaurants and drinking establishments oriented towards the large local student population.
- source : tokyocheapo.com/locations...

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Ochiai hotaru 落合蛍 / 落合ほたる / 落合螢 fireflies at Ochiai

Painted by Hasegawa Settan 1834-1836

This scene shows the view when looking out from what is now Takadanobaba 3-chōme in the direction of Shimo-Ochiai.
In Edo times, the area was well-known for viewing fireflies, a fact also noted in contemporary guidebooks. Many people also visited the area to experience cool breezes on summer evenings.
- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Library -

広重 Hiroshige
「江戸自慢三十六興落合ほたる」、

落合螢 - 黒沢明世 Kurosawa Akiyo

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Ochiai Water Reclamation Center 落合下水道局 Gesuido Kyoku

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Located very close to the subcenter of the Shinjuku area, Ochiai Water Reclamation Center is environment-friendly and thoroughly controlled as a water reclamation center surrounded by residential districts. The treatment area is in the Ochiai Treatment District (3,506 ha). It comprises Nakano-ku, and parts of Shinjuku, Setagaya, Shibuya, Suginami, Toshima and Nerima Ward.
The treated water
is discharged to Kanda River, with some part used effectively for toilet water in buildings of Nishi-shinjuku and Nakano-sakaue districts and for restoration of streams in three rivers which nearly dried up in the southern downtown area of Tokyo.
The generated sludge
is pumped through pressure pipelines to Tobu sludge plant for treatment.
- - - - - Sewerage Components
The sewerage system is principally made up of 3 facilities.
Sewers, which collect and carry sewage.
Pumping stations, where sewage is pumped up so that the sewers do not get too deep.
Water reclamation centers, where sewage is treated to be clean water.
Inspections, cleaning, and repairs are done daily in order to make sure each of these facilities works properly.
- Restoration of streams in three rivers in the southern downtown area of Tokyo
The reclaimed water after advanced waste water treatment in Ochiai Water Reclamation Center is fed into the three streams - Shibuya & Furu River, Meguro River and Nomi River, where water was stagnated and stream environment deteriorated in the past. This has contributed to the increase of water volume and recuperation of affluent water environment in the streams.
- - - Ochiai Summer Festa
We aim to be a water reclamation center loved by the local community. We hold this festival each year during summer vacation.
- - - Ochiai Chuo Park
Ochiai Chuo Park is the first park in Japan which was built using the upper part of a water treatment plant in 1964. This park is equipped with baseball park, tennis courts, etc. A large number of people visit and enjoy the parks.
- - - Seseragi no Sato Public Garden
Seseragi no Sato Public Garden has a chilidren's square with playground equipment, and the treated sewage through membrane filtration process flows in the waterway and the pond, providing the Garden with a comfortable waterside environment.

- - - - - Tokyo Sewerage Museum "Rainbow"

There is a facility to enjoy the experience of learning about the sewerage system, its roles, and the importance of water environment.
- source and details : gesui.metro.tokyo.jp/english... -

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Ochiai-eki 落合駅 Ochiai Station
is a subway station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line in Shinjuku.
The station opened on 16 March 1966.

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. Saishooji 最勝寺 Temple Saisho-Ji .
新宿区上落合3-4-12 / 3 Chome-4-12 Kamiochiai, Shinjuku

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

Ochiai no Kappa 落合の河童 The Kappa from Ochiai
In 1571, there was a great famine in Edo. From spring to July it was only raining and everything was overflown.
In 落合村の下落合 the village of Ochiai in Shimo-Ochiai there was a mountain priest named 佐貫坊 Sanuki Bo, who had caught a Kappa. This Kappa had fallen in love with a 人魚 "human fish".
Sanuki Bo promised the Kappa that his love would be fulfilled, if he would stop the rain and flooding.
Thus he saved the area.

Kappa bottom right, human fish top right !

- KAPPA - 河童 / かっぱ /　カッパ - ABC-Index -

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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6/25/2018

Kakinokizaka Meguro

. kaki no ki 柿の木 persimmon tree .

Coming from Shinagawa ward, this slope goes down to the 権之助坂 Gonnosukezaka toward the river 目黒川 Megurogawa and then connects to the 金毘羅坂 Konpirazaka.
Its end point is near the station Toritsu Daigaku Eki 都立大学駅.

- photo : wikipedia -

- quote
地名としての柿の木坂は、坂の北西一帯の地域である。全体は、北西 - 南東方向にやや細長い三角形をしており、北西から南東に呑川柿の木坂支流が縦貫している。南東辺を目黒通り、北東辺を環七通り、西辺を柿の木坂通り（区道）が通っており、柿の木坂二丁目と柿の木坂三丁目の間を東西に駒沢通りが通っている。
- source : wikipedia

The name of this district was created in 1932, when Meguro ward was created.
From the South-eastern part it has three sub-districts, 柿の木坂一丁目、柿の木坂二丁目、柿の木坂三丁目.

In former times, this part was called
Fusuma mura 衾村 Fusuma village
and belonged to the estate of the 吉良氏　Kira clan in Setagaya. Along the river 呑川 Nomigawa there was farm land.
When Tokugawa Ieyasu came to Edo, this district was given to the temple Zōjō-ji　増上寺 Zojo-Ji
Since that time there was a slope called Kakinokizaka. At the beginning of the slope there was a huge persimmon tree, hence the name.

Another story about the name
tells of farmers, who had to pull up their carts on this steep slope. The children living nearby helped them and got a little pocket money for their effort. They also often managed to pick out (nuki) some persimmons (kaki) from the luggage - hence the name
kaki nuki saka　柿抜き坂 slope of stealing persimmons.

Concert Hall

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Kakinokizaka no Ie 柿の木坂の家 The House at Kakinokizaka

famous song by 青木光一 Aoki Koichi
- reference -

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Nagano 長野県
南木曽町 Minami-Kiso town

tanuki たぬき badger
This Tanuki lived just below the Kakinokizaka slope and often came out to trick people.
If someone passes the slope in the evening, there might be the sound of cutting a tree and then a tree fallilng down - but next morning nothing has changed.
Sometimes there is the feeling of a wind licking the face of a farmer - and looking down there might be a Tanuki.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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- - - - - H A I K U and S E N R Y U - - - - -

柿の木坂雑唱 Kakinokizaka zassho poetry collection
by 安住敦 Azumi Atsushi (1907 - 1988)

and the follow-up
柿の木坂雑唱以後

父の日といふ日がありて子が訪ひ来
Chichi no hi to iu hi ga arite ko ga asobi ki

a day named
Father's day -
children come visiting
Tr. Gabi Greve

死はある日忽然と来よ傘雨の忌

梅雨の家子連狼来て荒す

こどもの日の家族旅行に加はらず

ががんぼにいつもぶつかる壁ありけり

章魚食つて路通はその忌知れずなり

- more haiku by Azumi Atsushi -

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- - - To join me on facebook, click the image !

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - The Japanese Home .

. Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #kakinokizaka #kakinokislope #megurokakinoki #persimmonhall - - - -
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6/24/2018

Nishitokyo Tanashi district

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... a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis,
- - Neighborhoods
- - - - - former city of 保谷市 Hoya
Fuji-machi, Hibarigaoka, Higashi-cho, Higashi-fushimi, Hoya-cho, Izumi-cho, Kita-machi, Naka-machi, Sakae-cho, Shimo-hoya, Shin-machi, Sumiyoshi-cho, Yagisawa
- - - - - former city of 田無市 Tanashi
Kitahara-cho, Midori-cho, Minami-cho, Mukodai-cho, Nishihara-cho, Shibakubo-cho, Tanashi-cho, Yato-cho
The area of present-day Nishitōkyō
was part of ancient Musashi Province. In the post-Meiji Restoration catastral reform of July 22, 1878, the area became part of Kita-Adachi District in Saitama Prefecture. The villages of Hoya and Tanashi were created on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of municipalities law. The southern portion of Kitaadachi District was transferred to the administrative control of Tokyo Metropolis on April 1, 1907.
The modern city of Nishitōkyō was established on January 21, 2001.
Before that date, the area was two separate cities Hoya and Tanashi.
- source : wikipedia

- quote

Nishitokyo City Multicultural Center
Nishitokyo City Living Guidebook
Nishitokyo News Letter
Japanese Classes by Volunteers in Nishitokyo
- - Introduction to Nishitokyo City and other information are shown.
- source : city.nishitokyo

. Musashi no Kuni 武蔵国 Musashi Province .

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Tanashi choo 田無町 Tanashi district
西東京市　田無町一丁目から田無町七丁目 Nishitokyo Tanachi from the first to the seventh sub-district
青梅街道と所沢街道の北東が田無町一丁目、その他は青梅街道を挟んで南側が東から田無町二丁目、田無町四丁目、田無町六丁目と並び、北側が東から田無町三丁目、田無町五丁目、田無町七丁目と並ぶ。

- quote -
Tanashi (田無市 Tanashi-shi)
was a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan.
Tanashi means the land without rice fields.
Because of the area's elevation relative to the Tamagawa River, traditional irrigation and rice farming was impossible. Hence, the area was named Tanashi.
At the time of its merger, the city had an estimated population of 78,165 and a density of 11,495 persons per km². The total area was 6.8 km².
The area of modern Tanashi
prospered during the Edo period as a post station on the Ome Kaido and Tokorozawa Kaido, and was part of ancient Musashi Province. After the Meiji Restoration it came under the jurisdiction of the short-lived prefectures of Shinagawa (1868) and Irima (1871), before becoming part of Kanagawa in 1872. During the early Meiji period (1878) catastral reform, it became the town of Tanashi within Kitatama District in Kanagawa.
The entire district was transferred to the administrative control of Tokyo Metropolis in 1893. Tanashi was connected to central Tokyo by train from 1927. Tanashi was elevated to city status in 1967.
On January 21, 2001,
Tanashi was merged with the neighboring city of Hoya to create the city of Nishi-Tōkyō, and thus Tanashi thus no longer exists as an independent municipality.
- source : wikipedia -

The area was without much water until the canals 田無用水 Tanashi Yosui and 野火止用水 Nobidome Yosui were built around 1688.

The postal station Tanashi juku 田無宿 was located along the Ome Kaido
about 24 km from Edo and 32 km from Ome and was very busy with travelers.
. Ome Kaido 青梅街道 Ome Kaido Highway .

. Ome Kaido 青梅街道 highway from Shinjuku to Kofu. .

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Tanashi Jinja 田無神社 Tanashi Shrine
Tokyo, Nishitokyo, 田無町3−7−4

The Shrine was founded around the 13th century and moved to its present location in 1670.
This shrine is known for beautiful wood carvings by Shimamura Shunpyo, dating back to 1875.
It is dedicated to the Dragon, Deity of Water.

goshiki ryuujin 五色龍神 Dragon Gods of five colors

source : yorokobii.exblog.jp

金龍神 Golden - 白龍神 - White - 黒龍神 Black - 赤龍神 Red - 青龍神 Green

Deity in residence :
Ookuninushi no Mikoto 大国主命

- HP of the Shrine
- tanashijinja.or.jp... -

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Go along the approach of Tanashi Shrine!
It is Dousoshin-God (right back), and the stone guardian’s face is pleasant.
You can fish a Omikuji (lottery/red snapper) with a fishing rod.

The hall of worshipers of Tanashi Shrine was said to have been made by local carpenters in 1875.
- source and many photos : i-love-japan.info... -

In the compound is
. 田無不動 Tanashi Fudo - 総持寺 Sojp-Ji .

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　西東京市 Nishitokyo

Tengu no koshikakegi 天狗の腰掛樹 tree where the Tengu sits
At a certain home there was a big sugi 杉 cedar tree on the corner. They had it cut town by a wood cutter, but soon after the family members became very ill.
A priest told them that this was a tree sacred to the Tengu and now they had to suffer his curse.

. Tengu, sugi 天狗と杉と伝説 Legends about Tengu and Cedar trees .

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下保谷　Shimo-Hoya

. magarimatsu 曲がり松 the bent pine tree on a mound .

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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- - - - - H A I K U and S E N R Y U - - - - -

田無団地初鴬に明けにけり
Tanashi danchi hatsu uguisu ni ake ni keri

Tanashi apartments -
this day begins with the song
of the first nightingale
Tr. Gabi Greve

岡田日郎 Okada Nichio (1932 - )

. WKD : ugusiu うぐいす、鶯 nightingale .
- - hatsu uguisu, kigo for spring - -

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6/23/2018

Omori district Ota

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
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Oomori, Ōmori 大森 Omori district "Great Forest"
Oota 大田区大森東. 大森西, 大森北, 大森本町, 大森中 Sub-districts in the East, West, North, Main Omori and Central Omori.

It used to be written 大杜 and later renamed Omori mura 大森村 Omori Village in the Edo period.
Omori mura was a very large rural area, the parts on the beach were fishing villages.
In the Edo period it was located along the Tokaido Highway, between
1. Shinagawa-juku 品川宿 (Shinagawa) and .2. Kawasaki-juku 川崎宿 (Kawasaki).
It was often called
Ai no Shuku 間の宿 Station inbetween.
The farmers used rice straw to make small figures of animals and sell them to the travelers.
There were also three merchants selling Wachuusan 和中散 Wachusan, a powder medicine loved by tired travelers. Tokugawa Ieyasu used to take this medicine for stomach troubles.
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Ōmori Wachūsan 大森和中散 Omori Wachusan

In Ōmori during the Edo period, there were three stores side by side
along the Tōkai Highway that sold "Wachūsan,"
which was a powdered medicine considered to be effective against dizziness and colds.
The head family of Wachūsan was in 近江国 Ōmi Province,
but the Wachūsan in Ōmori was "known to the world as Ōmori Wachūsan and extremely famous."
. source : Tokyo Metropolitan Library .

. The 53 Stations of the Tokaido Highway .

When Ota Dokan visited here, he wrote the following poem

大森の木の下かげの涼しさに知るも知らぬも立ちどまりけり

. 太田道灌 Ota Dokan (1432 - 1486) .
Founder of Edo Castle.

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Ōmori is a district located a few kilometers south of Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan accessed by rail via the Keihin Tohoku line, or by road via Dai Ichi Keihin. Ōmorikaigan, the eastern area of Ōmori, can be reached via the Keikyu line.
Ōmori is one of many areas in Tokyo's largest ward, Ōta-ku,
and was formerly home to the German International School before its relocation to Yokohama. High quality residential and retail developments that the German school attracted are present in the Ōmori-sannō area. Ōmori is home to the headquarters of the automotive company Isuzu, which has offices in the Belport complex a few hundred metres from Ōmori station.
Prior to its development as a convenient residential and business location, Ōmori was laced with a network of small rivers which were used by many locals for drying harvested nori (seaweed), a staple of the Japanese diet. Modern Ōmori is built on mostly reclaimed land, and is very much a traditional Shinto area; there are many shrines in the area, and during the August o-bon festival, mikoshi parades are very common.
Ōmori-sannō, to the west of Ōmori station,
is an upscale neighbourhood compared to the other side of the tracks, and Ōmori-sannō is known to be traditionally an area where Japanese poets, philosophers and writers have made their home.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

- quote
..... it’s part of the coastal area that was called 品川沖 Shinagawa-oki, an ambiguous term that in the Edo Period could refer to a coastline or the open sea or, well, just the sea.
..... the closest station to the ruins of Suzugamori Execution Ground is called 大森海岸駅 Ōmori Kaigan Eki, literally Ōmori Coast Station but that area is still in Shinagawa Ward.
..... What comes to mind are things like - execution grounds, fishing villages, and trees. Lots and lots of trees.
..... Edward Morse,
an American naturalist/zoologist who specialized in shellfish, came to Japan in 1877 and helped the first incarnation of Tōkyō Daigaku 東京大学 Tōkyō University establish a zoology department. Along the way, and perhaps by accident, he launched archaeology and anthropology in Japan when he discovered a 貝塚 kaizuka midden (a mound made of discarded shellfish) in Ōmori. This was Japan’s first archaeological dig and it was a major discovery in that it showed the Japanese that their origin wasn’t really recorded in books like the 日本書紀 Nihon Shoki. It showed that science could prove that Japan’s history actually went way farther back than anyone had ever imagined. The shells and pottery fragments dated from the Late Jōmon Period, about 2000-1000 BCE. The term Jōmon which all Japanese will recognize as a legitimate prehistoric era is actually a translation of Morse’s English description of the pottery samples he found. He noticed rope-like patterns and called them “cord marked” which was translated into Japanese as 縄文 “rope-design.”
..... this part of Edo Bay was renowned for its fish and nori 海苔 seaweed. This local specialty was generally referred to as Edo-mae nori 江戸前海苔 seaweed from Edo Bay, but each area had its unique brands. 品川海苔 Shinagawa Nori, 大森海苔 Ōmori Nori, and 芝町海苔 Shiba Machi Nori were some of the most sought after brands, the latter being the most prestigious. The development and modernization of Tōkyō Bay in the 50’s and 60’s more or less put an end to the fishing and nori cultivation that typified the area for centuries.
One unique aspect of Ōmori
as opposed to other areas that were developed in the late Edo Period and “modern eras,” is that the actually coastline is still preserved to a certain extent. The ruins of Suzugamori Execution Ground are located next to Ōmori Kaigan Eki 大森海岸駅 Ōmori Coast Station. A short walk from the station will bring you to small inlet which is basically where the shoreline began in the Edo Period.
- source : japanthis.com/2014...

. Suzugamori keijoo 鈴ヶ森刑場 Suzugamori execution ground .

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source : oomori-aoiro.org/mall...

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Omori is peppered with historical significance and is located just south of central Tokyo. During World War 2, the Tokyo Base Camp and a prisoner of war camp was located here on an artificial island, now called Peace Island. Centuries before, this area was known for its shrines and for its villagers drying nori seaweed.
Shinagawa Historical Museum
is located just a 15 minute walk from Art Hotels Omori and has a lot of various artefacts dating back to the Edo period (1603 - 1868). An English leaflet is available which has most of the information about the exhibits There are also various models and videos around the museum and although they are not in English, you can understand it through the various sculptures, videos and photographs.
Kashima Shrine
has a thousand years of history and was considered one of the three great shrines in suburban Edo, the old name for Tokyo. Considering the shrine is only a 10 minute walk from Art Hotels Omori it is work checking out, and the area has various shrines, museums and shops. The main building has several seats which are used for ceremonies. Here they have various services such as a good luck amulet prayer, blessings for baby and a memorial service for aborted fetuses. This peaceful shrine is located just a few minutes from the Shinagawa Museum.
Naritasan Ennoji Temple
was established in 1571 and hosts multiple shrines and a graveyard. It’s a quiet place to relax, but watch out for the mosquitoes in summer. The big Buddha statue is situated just in front of the temple entrance and if you look through the window you can see various beautiful decorations inside the temple. This was one of my favourite temples with a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.
Other local attractions here include
Shinagawa Kumin Park, Shinagawa Aquarium and Ohi Racecourse, which is also famous for its weekend flea markets.
- source : tokyo/exploring-omori... -

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大森和中散 Omori Wachusan
Edo Meisho Zue

- quote -
Omori mugiwara zaiku 大森麦藁細工 straw work from Omori

Ōmori's famed straw work started being made around the middle of the Edo period.
It was famous with travelers as a souvenir from the Tokaidō Highway.
- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Library -
. mugiwarazaiku, mugiwara zaiku 麦わら細工 handicraft from wheat straw .

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Plum Garden, Kamata (Kamata no Umezono)
Utagawa Hiroshige (Ando)
The entire Kamata area south of Ōmori was known for the cultivation of plum trees and was celebrated more for its early summertime fruits than its springtime blossoms.
The gentle beauty of this print tends to distract the viewer from the structure intruding from the right. It is a cushioned palanquin known as a yamakago ("mountain palanquin"), once widely used for travel in Japan. The overgarment left casually on top suggests that a traveler has recently stopped off for a brief rest from the nearby Tokaido highway that linked Edo to Kyoto.
- View of the extensive Plum Garden in the Kamata area. The estate which was open to the public complete with teahouses and a restaurant dated from the early Bunsei Period (1818-1830) and came to be known as
the "Plum Mansion" (Umeyashiki), with its several hundred trees extending into the distance. The owner of the mansion was a medicine dealer from Omori, whose chief product was a cold remedy called Wachusan.
The structure on the right is an indigo cushioned palanquin of the simple A-frame type known as a "yamakago" ("mountain palanquin") and was used widely for travel in Japan, suggesting that a traveler had stopped off from nearby Tokaido for a rest, leaving an over garment on top.
- source : brooklyn museum -

. Kamata 蒲田 "bulrush district" - Ota ward .
also called ume-no-ki mura 梅の木村 Umenoki mura "Village of the Plum Trees".

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Ōmori Kaizuka 大森貝塚 Omori Shell Mound and Park
Excavation of Omori Shell Mounds
Omori Shell Mound was excavation by Dr. Morse from September to December in 1877 (10th year of the Meiji Era). Shell Mounds of Omori, Japan’s first excavation report was published in 1879 (12th year of the Meiji Era). The reason why the Omori Shell Mounds are called as the birthplace of Japanese is because Dr. Morse’s excavation was Japan’s first academic excavation. Later, Shinagawa City carried out excavations on two separate occasions in 1984 and 1993. The two excavations found large amounts of traces of dwelling sites, earthenwares, accessories, bones of fish and animals, and so on. Shinagawa Historical Museum displays some materials which were found from the excavations.
The park is the place of learning about the Jomon Era and Omori Shell Mounds. There are interactive exhibits as well as the Omori shell Mounds Monument which was built in 1929 (4th year of the Showa Era), and a bronze statue of Dr. Morse. The park also has a sol sample of the shell layer on display like the one at Shinagawa Historical Museum.
- source : city.shinagawa.tokyo.jp... -

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. nori 海苔 laver, sea lettuce - Introduction .

大森の海苔　Omori no nori
歌川国芳 Utagawa Kuniyoshi

海苔のふるさと会 Ōmori Nori Museum
2-2 Heiwanomorikoen, Ōta, Tokyo

- CLICK for more photos !
- reference source : norinoyakata.web... -

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Omori 大森区

牛に生まれ変わった僧侶　a priest reborn as a bull
Since all priest does is eat and sleep, it was thought that after his death he would be reborn a bull.
Once the priest of a certain ○○寺 temple died and his parishioners wrote the name of the temple when they buried him.
A few years later when a farmer with his bull passed here, he heard a voice call out:
"Hey you there, this is the ○○寺 temple!"
This bull (the re-born priest) had some strangely colored hair that could be interpreted as looking like ○○寺.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - The Japanese Home .

. Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #omori #umeyashiki #kamata - - - -
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6/22/2018

Setagaya ward

- quote -
a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood and administrative district within the ward. The ward calls itself Setagaya City in English.
Its official bird is the azure-winged magpie, its flower the fringed orchid, and its tree the Zelkova serrata.
Setagaya
has the largest population and second largest area (after Ōta) of Tokyo's special wards.
Setagaya
is located at the southwestern corner of the Tokyo's special wards and Tama River separates the boundary between Tokyo Metropolis and Kanagawa Prefecture.
- History
The special ward of Setagaya was founded on March 15, 1947.
During the Edo period,
42 villages occupied the area. With the abolition of the han system in 1871, the central and eastern portions became part of Tokyo Prefecture while the rest became part of Kanagawa Prefecture; in 1893, some areas were transferred to Tokyo Prefecture. With the establishment of Setagaya Ward (an ordinary ward) in the old Tokyo City in 1932, and further consolidation in 1936, Setagaya took its present boundaries.
During the 1964 Summer Olympics, the district of Karasuyama-machi in Setagaya was part of the athletics marathon and 50 km walk event.
- Districts - with five 地域　main districts
--- Setagaya 世田谷地域
. Sangenjaya 三軒茶屋 Sangen-jaya, "three tea stalls" .
Setagaya
. Kitazawa 北沢地域 / Shimokitazawa　下北沢 .
---- . Okusawa 奥沢地区 Okusawa district .
Meidaimae (Meidai-mae) 明大前
--- Matsubara　松原 / Higashi-Matsubara
--- Tamagawa 玉川地域
. . . . . . Futako-Tamagawa: Major commercial and residential district located by the Tama River.
Yōga　用賀
Kamata　鎌田
. Seijoo 成城 Seijo district .
Todoroki
--- Kinuta 砧地域
. Taishidoo 太子堂 Taishido district and Kinuta 砧 .
Soshigaya　祖師谷 - 上祖師谷
- - - Karasuyama 烏山地域北烏山 Kita-Karasuyama - 南烏山
粕谷 Kasuya - 上北沢 / 給田 - 八幡山 Hachimanyama
.- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

. Tamagawa Denenchofu 玉川田園調布 and Denenchofu, Ota .
一丁目 - 二丁目 first and second sub-district /

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- quote -
English Booklet for Foreign Tourists is Available.

We have a lot of historic spots including Gotokuji Temple and Shoinjinja Shrine, and beautiful landscape in Setagaya-ku.
Why not go around Setagaya-ku with this booklet?
- reference source : city.setagaya.lg.jp/foreign... -

- quote
"Valley of the Eternal Rice Paddy"
This place name is ancient.
瀬戸 seto usually means a strait, as in the Strait of Gibraltar, but in Old Japanese, it could also be applied to 谷地 yachi a narrow marsh in a valley.
In the old dialect of the area, it’s said that word seto was pronounced seta and written 瀬田 seta. Old Japanese had two possessive particles. Modern Japanese uses の no, but Old Japanese also used が ga. It survives in place names all over the country, the most famous being 関ヶ原 Sekigahara, which literally means “the checkpoint gatehouse’s prairie/field.” Thus 瀬田ヶ谷 seta ga ya meant something like 瀬田の谷地 seta no yachi “the narrow marsh in the valley’s narrow marsh in the valley,”...
Eventually,
the first kanji was swapped out with 世 se “generation, world” because it’s an auspicious character. 世田 sounds like rice paddies that are bountiful forever, hence my translation of “Valley of the Eternal Rice Paddy.”
Also, 世 is a standard ateji character. It was so common in phonetic renderings that the shorthand form of 世 became katakana セ se.
The first attestation of the name is in 1376 as 世田谷郷 Setagaya-gō Setagaya Hamlet.
By the Edo Period, the town was listed as Setagaya Mura 世田谷村 Setagaya Village and this name lasted until the Meiji Era. In the Edo Period it was not part of the city of Edo, but of 荏原郡 Ebara-gun Ebara District of 武蔵国 Musashi no kuni Musashi Province[.
In 1871, when the haihan-chiken 廃藩置県 the abolition of domain and establishment of prefectures was enacted, the eastern section of what is now Setagaya Ward was absorbed into Tōkyō-shi 東京市 Tōkyō City within Tōkyō-fu 東京府 Tōkyō Prefecture. In 1936, the boundaries of present day Setagaya Ward were pretty much fixed. It became a special ward of the newly created Tōkyō Metropolis in 1946.
- source : japanthis.com/2013...

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Setagayamura 世田谷村 Setagaya Village
世田谷区世田谷豪徳寺 Setagaya Gotoku-Ji

Also written with the characters 瀬田, 勢田 or 勢多.
In 1633, there were 16 villages in the Setagaya district, including Tsurumaki 弦巻村

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. Kasuya mura 粕谷村 / 糟谷村 Kasuya village .

. Karasuyama teramachi 烏山寺町 Karasuyama Temple Town district .
the Little Kyoto of Setagaya ward 世田谷の小京都.

. Sangenjaya 三軒茶屋 Sangen-jaya, "three tea stalls" district .

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. Setagaya boroichi 世田谷ぼろ市 Setagaya Antiques Flea Market .
This market dates back to 1574, when this was a market town connecting Edo with Odawara.

. Gootokuji 豪徳寺 Gotoku-Ji .
famous for its manekineko 招き猫 beckoning cat

- quote -
Setagaya Gōtoku-ji Temple

Gōtoku-ji Temple was founded in 1480 (the twelfth year of Bunmei).
It became a major temple which includes a large temple edifice after the lord of the Ōmi Hikone domain Ii Naotaka designated it as the Ii family temple in 1633 (the tenth year of Kan'ei).
Ii Naosuke, who was slain in Sakuradamongai-no-hen (Sakuradamon Incident) in 1860 (the first year of Man'en ), is buried at this temple.
- Tokyo Metropolitan Museum -

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. Setagaya Hachimangū 世田谷　八幡宮 Setagaya Hachimangu .

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This ema 絵馬 votive tablet is sold well especially during the New Year holidays:

. Shrine Okusawa Jinja 奥澤神社ー　Setagaya .
Okusawa shrine is famed for that 150kg, nine-metre-long daija, or shrine snake, draped over the torii gate at the entrance, which is often mistakenly referred to as a dragon.

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Setagaya 世田谷区

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アシゲヅカ蘆毛塚 Ashigezuka mound
Under the mound the bones of a horse are buried. In this area people who posess a horse with four white legs will have misfortune.
The mound was lost during new construction work.

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. dojoo 泥鰌 Dojo, loach .
There was a well called 姥ヶ谷井戸 "well of the old hag".
Once a farmer used the water for his fields and caught a lot of loaches. But when he ate them, he turned all wild and furious.

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hitokui matsu 人喰松 "man-eating pine"
At the 渋谷道玄坂 Dogenzaka slope in Shibuya there is a pine tree with this name.
During the restructuring of modern Tokyo, this tree had to be moved. Two sisters living in Setagaya were very pious, chanting the 法華経 Hokekyo Sutra and got a message from the Deity.
In former times something bad had been buried under the roots of this tree and cursed the people. When they eventually dug below the roots, they found the bones of a hebi 蛇 serpent. During the recital of the Sutra, the serpent turned all white and made its way up into the heaven.

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. kuchisake onna 口裂け女 slit-mouthed woman .
at Sangenjaya 三軒茶屋 Sangen-jaya, "three tea stalls"
She likes the number three, so she likes to come here.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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6/21/2018

mon gates of Edo castle

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
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mon 門 the 36 gates of Edo castle

- quote
The 36 Gates of Edo Castle
Edo (Yedo) Castle, constructed in 1457, transformed Tokyo (then called Edo) from a small fishing village into an urban center for trade, culture, and politics. Edo Castle became the official residence of the Tokugawa shogun who ruled Japan from 1603 to 1867. Upon the shogun’s arrival in 1603, the castle was in shambles, requiring an extensive 40 year reconstruction project. The castle was upgraded to be an appropriate residence for the shogun as well as an administration center for a unified Japan.
At the time, it was the biggest castle in the world with a defensive perimeter of over 10 miles comprised of an inner and outer moat. The moats were crossed by 36 gates or watchtowers, each heavily guarded. In 1868 the Tokugawa shogun’s power toppled and the emperor was restored to the supreme ruling position, ending the feudal era and ushering the modernization of Japan. Emperor Meiji resided at the castle from 1868 to 1888 before moving to the newly constructed Imperial Palace. Unfortunately, there is little that remains of the original castle structure today. Much of it had been destroyed due to fires and earthquakes, including most of the gates. The remnants are currently being preserved as historical landmarks.

This extravagant publication at the end of the 19th century tried to capture the magnificence of the gates for tourists and historians alike. Each of the 36 gates is depicted in color with an accompanying historical description.
- source : blogs.harvard.edu/preserving...

- quote -
Gates
The inner citadels of the castle were protected by multiple large and small wooden gates (mon), constructed in-between the gaps of the stone wall.
Not many are left today. From south to southwest to north, the main gates are at Nijūbashi, Sakurada-mon, Sakashita-mon, Kikyō-mon, Hanzō-mon, Inui-mon, Ōte-mon, Hirakawa-mon and Kitahanebashi-mon.
Only the stone foundations of the other gates (meaning the gap left in between the large stone walls for the wooden gates) are still preserved. Large gates, such as the Ōte-mon, had a guard of 120 men, while the smaller gates were guarded by 30 to 70 armed men.

An eye-witness account
is given by the French director François Caron from the Dutch colony at Dejima. He described the gates and courts being laid out in such a manner as to confuse an outsider. Caron noted the gates were not placed in a straight line, but were staggered, forcing a person to make a 90 degree turn to pass on to the next gate. This style of construction for the main gates is called masugata (meaning "square"). As noted by Caron, the gate consisted of a square-shaped courtyard or enclosure and a two story gatehouse which is entered via three roofed kōrai-mon. The watari-yagura-mon was constructed at adjacent angles to each side within the gate.
All major gates had large timbers that framed the main entry point and were constructed to impress and proclaim the might of the shogunate.

The Hanzō-mon (半蔵門) Hanzomon is a gate in the kōrai style. The old gate was destroyed by fire during World War II. The Wadakura Gate was moved here in its stead.
The Hanzō-mon is the only gate to the Fukiage area from outside today.

Fukiage no funa asobi 吹上之船遊び boating pleasure at Fukiage
Toyohara Chikanobu

The Inui-mon (乾門) was in the Nishinomaru area next to today's headquarters of the Imperial Household Agency and called Nishinomaru Ura-mon. It was moved to its present location between the Kitanomaru and Fukiage garden in the Meiji era. It has its name because it was in the northwestern part of the Imperial Palace grounds.

Kikyō-mon 桔梗門 Kikyo-Mon - see below
One of the few gates left of the Ninomaru is the kikyō-mon, which is also known as the Inner Sakurada-mon, as opposed to the (Outer) Sakurada-mon in the south. The architecture of the tower is a gate and in the kōrai style.

Kitahanebashi-mon 北桔橋門, "Northern Drawbridge Gate" is the northern gate to the Honmaru ward, facing Kitanomaru ward across Daikan-cho street. It is also constructed as a masu-gate just like Ōte-mon and Hirakawa-mon, and has a watari-yagura-mon in a left angle. The bridge in front of the gate, which was once a drawbridge during the Edo period, is now fixed to the ground. The metal clasps used to draw the bridge are still attached to the roof of the gate.

Sakashita-mon 坂下門 originally faced the north, but was changed to face the east in the Meiji era. This tower gate overlooks Hamaguri-bori. The assassination of Andō Nobumasa, a member of the shōgun's Council of Elders, occurred outside this gate.

- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Kikyō-mon 桔梗門 Kikyo-Mon

Ōtemon 大手門 Otemon, main gate of the Edo Castle

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- - - To join me on facebook, click the image !

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - The Japanese Home .

. Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #mon #mongate #gatemon #fukiage - - - -
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